Gilas Pilipinas will begin its journey in the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup with a collision course with defending champion China, Qatar, and Iraq.

The Philippines has been slotted in Group B of the continental championships in the draw ceremony held on Tuesday.

The four teams in each group will play in the round-robin format, with the top squads earning an outright slot in the quarterfinals.

The second and third-best squads will face off in a cross-over playoffs, with the victors completing the eight-team playoffs. The rest of the tournament will be played in a single elimination format to decide the champion.

The 2017 FIBA Asia Cup will be in Beirut, Lebanon from August 8 to 20. – INQUIRER.net